About Mike

Michael (Mike) Firsching is the son of Henry and Shirley Firsching. Born in Ohio in 1956, he grew up with his parents in Georgia and then Illinois. His father was a chemistry professor, and his mother was a stay-at-home mom and, later, a school psychologist. They took their children on many road trips across the United States. Mike is the second of six children.

Mike attended Eastern Illinois University, the University of Arizona, and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He graduated with a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the Veterinary College at the University of Illinois in 1982.

In 1983, Mike started his own business: Fort Russell Veterinary Service. He works on a variety of animals (large, small and exotic), although dogs and cats are his most frequent patients.

Mike is the proud father of six children and has been an active participant in raising all of them. He is divorced.

Mike enjoys many interests outside of his veterinary practice, including: organizing and coaching YMCA soccer and participating in volleyball, soccer, softball and ultimate frisbee. In 2008, Mike participated in the Illinois Senior Olympics and won a gold medal in the 100 meter sprint and a silver medal in the 50 meter sprint. He is an avid rider of roller coasters and a notorious consumer of milk and cereal.

Through the years, Mike has served on several public boards. In the early 1990ís, Mike served as a Trustee for the Fort Russell Fire District, where he supported a cost-effective agreement with the Edwardsville Fire Department. From 1997-2001, he was a member of the Edwardsville School Board, where he was the minority voice against school district policies that were designed to benefit the development business. (The district should be more concerned about current residents and providing opportunity to its students, rather than future households that may or may not be a part of the district.) Mike served as a Trustee for the Holiday Shores Sanitary District from 2002-2004. He played a primary role in revising a legal document detailing the districtís functions and pushed for appropriate charges to reflect direct vs. indirect costs of district operations, as well as larger impact fees. From 2006-2008, Mike was a member of the Madison County Regional School Board.

Over the past four years, Mike has been studying the Constitution through Supreme Court case law with Tad Armstrong's ELL (Earn it, Learn it, or Lose it) Club. After examining over 300 Supreme Court cases, Mike was awarded a graduation certificate. Mike believes that we the people need to know our Constitution, it takes work to do so, and this knowledge is vital to maintaining freedom and liberty.